The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-18

Rev York hospital last week. The
patient was a bright boy about eleven
years old, whose youth had been
turned to old age by suffering. When
he came to the hospital n month ago
there was greenish yellow discharge
from the right ear. 1t was standing
over two years, and there had been
gradual but steady increase. in
,he symptoms. He had headaches
that made the tears start from his
eyes at every .twinge, and from the
description he gave OF the feeling,
it seemed as, il there were some
power on the inside OF his head that
was trying TO twist of his skull at the
neck Another popularity was that
he would fall suddenly limp and APP.
parently lifeless. These attacks would
come without warning, and so quickly
that while in the middle OF q sentence
his mouth would be sealed as il a grip
OF iron were upon it, md. then he
would double up and remain uncon-,
scious Cor about fifteen minutes. 1t
was always followed by an acute de-
lirium, when the boy would rave, talk
all kinds OF nonsense. shock every one
with n flow OF disgusting profanity
pull his hair and endeavor to do vio-
ience to himself and others. Then
he would fall into sleep and awake
after several hours all right men
tally, but greatly exhausted physical
". Then again he would become ter
ribly sick and faint, and have the most
distressing nausea. This would last
for two or three hours, and would be
relieved by vomiting. The muscular
strain attending the vomiting was
something terrific, and it seemed at
times as il he would turn himself in
side out.
A number OF kinds OF treatment werc
used at the hospital as a matter ofex-
pertinent. They seemed to causegreat-
err suffering and aggravate all the symp-
toms, aud it had to be confessed that
there was nothing that medicine could
suggest that could be of any benefit.
| Preparations were made to trephlno
the mastoid process, or to get an
opening into the ear by cut
ting through the large bone behind
it, but this course was abandoned, as
it would tend to bring about other
plications, and it was resolved to
open up the internal ear through the
natural channel.
A little force and few whiffs from
the ether cone soon put the boy in
dreamland. An electrode was used to
light up the ear, The first CLEAN OF
light thrown into the ear showed u
high state of inflammation.
The surgeon took small knife and
cut the drnm-head loose from the au-
ditory plate. 1t was exceedingly diff
fcult on account OF the small space to
work in, and required delicate hand.
as the operator was guided TO large
extent by the acuteness OF the sense OF
touch. The little mallet and anvil-shap-
ed bones in the middle ear, after an
opening 10 them had been made, were
found to be held in position, although
there were evident marks OF carries or
decomposition, and the tensor tym-
PAM muscles were severed.
Tiny forceps, which looked like q
plaything, were put into the ear, and
the end of the malleus was seized. a
light pull showed that it was yet at
tached, and knife was run around
it to sever all connecting tissues, and
it was removed. In consequence OF
the active hemorrhage, the operation
had to be suspenped at this point.
The work OF stopping the bleeding wac
long and tedious. For time it APP
peared as il it could not be checked,
and that the patient would bleed to
death.
When this was stopped, and the
bright light flashed in the ear, shin
ing point was seen. The iorceps were
applied to it and drawn out. To tho
hstonishment OF every one, in the
teeth OF the forccps was small brass
Pin. The cause o. the trouble had
been found at last. 1t was narrow
sscape, and fortunate, though acct
dental discovery, for if it had been
left ir the ear it would have caused q
constant suppuration and decompo-
sition, and in the end would have re-
suited in death. When the cause was
found all puzzling symptoms could be
accounted for, and it was considered
pretty good indication of the slow
ness of the most accute minds that
something OF the kind had not been
Thought OF.
The boy can only go one ear on the
next Fourth of July celebration, as
che mcchauism OF the right ear-was
destroyed. The wound is healing:well,
and all the troublesome symptoms
are gone. and the patient will be